Three's a Crowd
by Voyfan2
Summary: A J/P take on Resolutions. What if Kathryn and Chakotay weren't the only ones on New Earth?
1. Chapter 1

_ Originally, this was to be a short story for the J&P Collection, but my muse had other ideas, and a bit of snark to go with it._

_ As usual, everyone/everything from Voyager is the property of CBS+Viacom+? Anything else is mine. I certainly make no money from this, and it's written for entertainment purposes only. _

xxx

Kathryn took a few deep breaths while she waited for the disorientation to pass, then sat up in the stasis pod. Her heart sank as she looked around: They were back on this damned planet.

She immediately tapped her communicator, talking to Voyager even as she climbed out of the pod. The news was bad: There was no cure for the virus they'd contracted down here, and staying on board would put the crew at risk. Their journey was over … they were stuck here.

She and Chakotay conferred … decisions made, she walked off to make the necessary arrangements. Part of it he could overhear, but then she walked out of earshot, and was gone quite a while. When she returned, it was obvious she'd been crying.

"Thanks for starting to unpack," she said. "I'd like to get the lab set up before dark."

They made small talk for a couple of hours as they sorted through the equipment and supplies. Kathryn seemed subdued, but that was to be expected, he decided. While they sorted, several more containers materialized.

"I appreciate the generosity, but I hope they left something for the crew," Chakotay remarked.

The transporter whined again, and Tom Paris — in civilian clothes and carrying a couple of soft bags — was deposited nearby.

He reached Kathryn in three strides. "How are you feeling?" he asked anxiously as he dropped the bags and took her by the shoulders. Chakotay noted Kathryn's smile when she saw Paris … how her hands grasped his arms.

"Good, actually, but Tom ..."

"Paris, what the hell are you doing?" Chakotay snapped. "Get out of here before you get infected."

Tom ignored him. "Kate, I said that I would join you."

Kathryn sighed and squeezed his arms. "Tom, we talked about this."

"No, Kate, _you_ talked about this. I'm not leaving you here." He didn't bother to add, _"with him."_

"You have to get Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant," she said firmly. "You're the best pilot."

"Tuvok and the other folks can get the ship back. And they have more reason to go back to the Alpha Quadrant than I do. My home is with you, wherever that may be."

He shook his head and squeezed her shoulders a bit more tightly. "But Kate, I have to ask you to reconsider. Come back to Voyager."

Kathryn's face registered exasperation and affection. "You think I really wanted to leave you and give up my ship? I had no choice. The Doctor doesn't have a cure. All we would do is infect everyone else, even in stasis, and then we'd _all_ die. I couldn't do that to the crew … to you."

"Don't count Doc out," Tom said softly. "We can find a way to safely contact the Vidiians ..."

Kathryn threw up her hands. "Did crew discipline get infected by this virus, too? I specifically ordered Tuvok not to contact them. I don't want anyone to risk their lives to save us."

"And yet, you've risked your life for us how many times?" he asked softly.

"That's different," she snapped. "Damn, it, Tom, I'm trying to keep you safe!"

"If I'm here, it doesn't matter whether I'm infected or not, does it?" he said.

Chakotay couldn't believe what he was hearing. The obvious intimacy between those two … how did he miss this? "I don't know what's going on here," he said, "but Paris, you're skirting damn close to mutiny."

Tom spun to look at him, his anger evident. "Mutiny against who?" he snapped. "You two aren't in command. And technically, I'm still a civilian observer. Tuvok agreed that he legally can't hold me on Voyager. Actually, he didn't want to; he agreed that I should go to my wife."

"Your wife?" Chakotay yelped. _That_ he didn't expect. Though it certainly explained a few things.

Tom held up his left hand to show the gold band on his ring finger. Chakotay looked at Kathryn in disbelief. She pulled a gold chain from under her uniform shirt … it held a matching gold band.

"When did _this_ happen?" Chakotay demanded.

"About eight months ago," Kathryn replied. "After that bar fight on Comis 3. They wouldn't release Tom to anyone but a family member."

"She told them we were engaged. That didn't fly, but they offered to marry us right then," Tom added. "So ..."

xxx

_If he was surprised by the Captain's claiming an engagement, he was shocked when she agreed to a wedding. He barely remembered the ceremony, though he did remember that Kate looked rather amused._

_He expected to be sent back to the ship after he stammered his thanks; instead she took him to her hotel. "Might as well continue shore leave," she'd said to his raised eyebrow. In her room, she pointed him toward the bathroom. "You __could really__ use a bath," she said._

_When he came out, he found her leaning against the door of the bedroom … wearing a short robe … and likely nothing else. He swallowed._

"_So, husband," she said, her voice low and smoky. "Just what am I supposed to do with you?"_

_Shock aside, he knew an invitation when he saw one. He'd wanted her since the beginning … though she never allowed anything more than friendship, those constant touches aside._

_But now, it seemed that she did want the same thing… and it was better than any fantasy that he'd ever had about her._

_He stepped into her personal space and fingered the tie on her robe. "Since we just got married, I believe that we're on our honeymoon," he said._

"_I believe you are right," she replied. It wasn't the honeymoon she'd planned on, but the chance of that happening had disappeared … and the loneliness was gnawing at her. _

_He kissed her, beginning what would be … well … the ride of his life. By the end of shore leave, he was hers … and to his thinking, the luckiest SOB in any quadrant._

xxx

"We'd decided it was best to keep quiet for a while. Though it _is_ in ship's records," Kathryn finished with a note of defiance in her voice.

"Well, just because you two have a marriage of convenience," Chakotay snapped, then stopped. Tom's smirk and the blush crawling up Kathryn's cheeks told him they had taken convenience to another level.

Tom looked over at Kathryn. "You won't change your mind?" Kathryn shook her head.

"You?" he asked Chakotay.

He shook his head. "I have to stand with Kathryn on this one," he said. Not that he liked what that was going to entail.

"OK, then," he said, leaning over to kiss Kathryn's cheek. "Well, honey, I'm home. Better put up that second shelter."

xxx

Eight weeks in, and Chakotay considered that a stasis pod on Voyager might have been the better option.

When he realized they were stuck here, he'd hoped that he could cultivate the attraction between him and Kathryn … rather — the attraction he _thought_ was between them — into a loving relationship. Instead, he found out that she'd been hiding a husband … and it _would_ be that weasel Tom Paris.

He grudgingly admitted that he couldn't fault Paris' work ethic: He certainly did his share. He was supportive of Kathryn's research: He even let her take a weekly blood sample from him … and how was it that he'd not contracted the virus?

They didn't ignore him, though most of his conversations were with Kathryn. But more and more, he felt like a bit player in the low-budget movie, "Tom and Kate on the Honeymoon Planet."

For starters, those two couldn't keep their hands off each other. He'd walk by her and lean in for a kiss. She'd come up behind him and squeeze his shoulders or rub his back. They held hands when they walked. They couldn't sit next to each other without touching. He knew Kathryn was tactile, but for spirits' sake ...

Also, he'd never found Paris to be particularly funny, but Kathryn thought he was a riot. He'd whisper something in her ear and Kathryn would laugh uproariously. He was always taking her off to explore or to see something … he'd rigged a swing for her in a tree; he was building a raft. The other day, he was inspecting the large storage containers: seems "Kate" wanted a bathtub.

And then at night … and early morning … and sometimes in the afternoon …he'd hear some rather unmistakable sounds coming from their shelter. For the first couple of weeks, it was Every. Damn. Night. How did they find the energy to work? He'd considered moving his shelter, but he doubted he could get far enough away from _that_. At least when it rained, they closed the windows.

But today was the worst. He'd heard Paris's whoop from the shelter, followed by laughter. When he came out, Paris had lifted Kathryn off her feet and was soundly kissing her.

"Good news?" he asked. Maybe they were getting out of here?

"Oh yeah," Paris said. "We're pregnant!"

"What? When's the baby due?"

"About seven-and-a-half months," Kathryn answered, her goofy grin matching Paris's.

Apparently these two were fated to produce offspring, he thought. "Well, congratulations, but do you think this is a good idea … I mean with the virus?"

"I'm concerned," Kathryn admitted, "but Tom still doesn't show any signs of the virus. And right now, the baby doesn't either. So I'm hoping for the best … and I haven't given up on finding a cure."

"We'd talked about kids, but Kate was always concerned about raising a child while running the ship. But now, we have plenty of time. Maybe we can have a half dozen," Tom teased as Kathryn gave him a "We'll see about _that,_ Mister" glare.

"_Great,"_ he thought. On top of everything else, he'd have to watch a bunch of Janeway-Paris kids grow up, too.

xxx

Sixteen weeks now. Some of the vegetables they'd planted were ready for harvest; Kathryn had a small baby bump. Fortunately, her morning sickness passed quickly, but the amorous sounds were coming from their shelter on a daily basis ... again …

He'd gone out to collect some fallen wood for campfires. His quiet was interrupted by Tom's yell: "Chakotay, we have news!"

He ran back to find Kathryn talking to her communicator. "It's Tuvok!" Tom told him. "They contacted the Vidiians and got a cure! They're coming back for us!"

Kathryn finally signed off and sagged against the wall. "They're 36 hours away. Apparently Deanna Pel helped them, but they got out by the skin of their teeth." She shook her head. "I don't know whether to court-martial them or thank them."

"I'll vote for thanking them," Tom teased.

At first, Chakotay was euphoric. They were getting off the planet. Then it hit him: he was going back to Voyager, where he would sit on the Bridge — next to Kathryn. Day after day of watching her look at Paris' back … of watching her stop by the helm to talk with him, always ending with a touch on the shoulder or back.

It was bad enough before; at least he didn't know what she was thinking, or what those touches meant. Now, he did. And … the thought made him groan ... they could be even _more_ open about it.

"_No, no … hell no,"_ he thought.

The doctor sent the formula for the cure, and Kathryn duplicated three hyposprays.

"I thought Paris didn't have the virus," he said.

"I don't," Tom replied. "The Doc wants Kate to split her dose because of the baby. I have to monitor them."

"You might want to get some rest," Kathryn told Chakotay as she administered the hypospray. The Doctor says we may feel some flu symptoms while this works."

He nodded and headed back to his shelter, a plan beginning to form ...

xxx

As the Doctor predicted, he did begin to feel lousy, but he managed to pack some things in two small bags, quickly stashing them under his cot when Tom came to check on him. He also left dinner: "Kate" wasn't up to eating, he said.

He waited until dark … until all was quiet next door. Then he slipped out of his shelter and headed for the shuttle that Voyager had so thoughtfully left them.

xxx

Kathryn and Tom were roused by the noise. "Sounds like a shuttle," Tom muttered as he tried to wake up.

"It does," Kathryn agreed. "Too early for Voyager."

They ran outside in nightclothes: Tom to where the shuttle was kept; Kathryn to Chakotay's shelter.

Tom took one look and ran back to Kathryn. "The shuttle is gone," he panted.

"So's Chakotay," she replied.


	2. A Day or so Later

There was much rejoicing and congratulations when Voyager's captain and chief pilot returned to the ship.

Kathryn thanked Tuvok for disobeying her orders and immediately ordered a search for her wayward first officer. Within the day, the shuttle was found at a small trading post, about a quarter-light year from the planet.

Chakotay had been seen talking to some of the freighter captains, Tuvok reported, but no one knew —and the ship reports didn't show — where he'd gone from there.

Reluctantly, Kathryn retrieved the shuttle — after paying the docking fees — and ordered her husband to resume a course for home.

xxx

"Actually, things worked out a lot better than I expected," Tom said that night in their now-shared quarters.

"In some ways, yes." Kathryn agreed. She'd been worried about how the former Maquis would take Chakotay's disappearance. They actually seemed to be more angry with Chakotay. "I can't believe that PetaQ ran off to leave us to face a Federation court!" B'Elanna raged.

"You know, I should have told you this before. I really was trying to protect you from the virus."

"Which I didn't catch," he pointed out.

"True. But what I wanted to say is that I'm glad you ignored me. I'm fond of Chakotay, but I don't think I could have taken a lifetime of ancient stories. And he was getting a bit too attached to me before this."

Tom merely raised an eyebrow. "That wouldn't have anything to do with you flirting with him?"

Kathryn managed to look abashed. "All right: guilty. But I needed him to buy in to a blended crew. I didn't want to be tossed out an airlock by the Maquis … or see you tossed out of one. I didn't think he'd take it seriously."

She stretched out on the bed. "I'm not happy about leaving him out there. Starfleet certainly won't be happy. But as for us … at least with Tuvok, we won't have to deal with a jealous first officer."

"True," Tom said, raising his glass. "So here's to my not being thrown out an airlock."

"At least not by Chakotay," she zinged back, as he jumped on the bed to exact retribution.


	3. Four Years Later

"Captain, the first Pathfinder transmission is ready," Harry said. "I have a message that Admiral Paris wants to speak with you."

Kathryn smiled. "Tell them I'm on my way." She looked over at Tom, who nodded his understanding.

xxx

"Kathryn, it's good to see you," Owen Paris said.

"I can say the same, Admiral," she answered with a bright smile.

He frowned. "There is something I wanted to talk about while we had the chance."

"_Here it comes,"_ Kathryn thought.

He leaned forward. "I understand from these reports that you're my daughter-in-law."

She grinned. "True."

"You really married Tom to get him out of jail?" the admiral was incredulous.

"You know, I'm not sure what the fuss was about," she began, not mentioning that she _might_ have played on the judge's sympathy just a bit. "He didn't start the fight. But I couldn't just leave my chief pilot in jail, could I?"

"Well, no. But that's certainly above and beyond the call of duty," Owen allowed. "You know … under the circumstances, a Federation court would grant an annulment."

"I certainly don't want an annulment," Kathryn said. "Me, either," said a familiar voice off-screen.

"You know," Kathryn said, "Lieutenant Commander Paris is a good man, and a fine officer. He's taken on a lot of responsibility in the past few years." _"And with Chakotay gone, I was finally able to give Harry Kim that promotion," she thought._

"And while our marriage had an unusual start, it works for us. He's a wonderful husband and father."

The admiral's face split into a broad smile. "And how are my grandsons?"

"They're great," Tom said as he moved into view. "Thought you'd like to meet them." He handed the toddler to Kathryn, who shifted the boy so he faced the screen. He then picked up the older boy, who was trying to climb a nearby railing.

"This is Collin," he said. "And this is Callan," Kathryn added.

"Those are two handsome boys," Owen said proudly. "And I do admit to being biased."

Both boys were redheads, though several shades lighter than their mother. Collin resembled Tom, though the look he gave the admiral was pure Janeway. At Tom's urging, he gave his grandfather a small wave. Callan looked more like his mother, but his eyes were a brilliant blue, and his smile was just like Tom's at that age. He happily waved at the screen.

"Now that we're in contact, we'll get everyone caught up on images," Kathryn said.

"I'll certainly be capturing this image," the admiral said. "We've all been anxious to see all of you. I promise we will find a way to get you home."

He frowned slightly. "There is one more thing, the matter of Chakotay's disappearance ..."

Tom and Kathryn looked at each other. "Yes," Kathryn said, "it's the damnedest thing … "

xxx

The day was warm, and Chakotay pushed back the hood of his monk's robe to cool off.

Getting here was a roundabout journey. After he'd fled the planet, he'd stopped at the first outpost he came to. He'd hopped a Tarkai freighter headed for a remote region of the quadrant … far enough away that Voyager wouldn't go after him.

In some ways, it was a mistake. Life with the Tarkai was difficult, to say the least. After a year, he managed to jump ship at Manta, where he was befriended by Brother Di'ag, a member of the Monks of Manta. He took Chakotay to the monastery, where he was offered sanctuary.

The Mantas' reptilian appearance took some getting used to. But they were a kind and welcoming race, as well as an intellectually curious one. The monks were fascinated by his stories and his medicine bundle. And after he helped introduce them to their spirit guides, they invited him to join their order.

He found that he enjoyed the contemplative life; it gave him peace. He did fear that he'd have to take a vow of celibacy. Though, considering his track record with women, that might have been a wise move. But the monks took no such vow. In fact, they looked appalled at the idea.

And as it turned out, the Sisters of Manta … and some of the brothers … had some interesting ways of welcoming their exotic brother to the fold …

He smiled as he returned to his labors. The Prioress had invited him to her chambers tonight. Life was good ….


End file.
